An excited little girl who started playing soccer at 4 years old realized that she was faster than everybody else and no one could catch her.

Warriors’ team captain Kalyn Kaemerle, 19, business management major, realized that she was not tall enough to play other sports aside from soccer.

“I tried other sports like basketball and volleyball but I just stopped growing, I was shorter (than the other girls),” Kaemerle said. “So (soccer) was my thing, for my height.”

This season, Kaemerle leads the EC women’s soccer team with nine goals. Her offensive attributions have helped the team maintain a positive season.

Before attending EC last year, Kaemerle was a scoring machine at South Torrance High School. During her freshman season as a Spartan, she scored 19 goals in 31 games.

Staying healthy has been an issue throughout her career. Having suffered three different dislocated knee caps and surgery during her senior year in high school, Kaemerle thought she was done playing the game that she loved the most.

“I am in pain when I’m playing,” Kaemerle said. “But I try not to think about it because my adrenaline is up.”

Her family was crushed when they found out Kaemerle was going to stop playing soccer and give up the game she has played most of her life.

Kaemerle said they (the family) would support her in whatever she wanted to do after soccer.

After nine months of not playing soccer, she decided to return to the pitch. When her family and closest friends found out, they were really happy.

Kaemerle said her father, Carl, even printed out stickers of her team.

Getting back into shape was tough for her after not playing for nine-months, Kaemerle added. She lost a lot of muscle during her short hiatus.

“I had to work really hard to get back in shape,” Kaemerle said. “Last season my confidence and scoring ability was low, because I missed 75 percent of my shots.”

Warriors’ coach John Britton said coaching a player like Kaemerle is very easy.

“She does whatever you ask her to do,”Britton said. “She is a great leader on and off the field. I believe that she has potential to play at the D-2 level.”

When Kaemerle is not dribbling the ball on the field she enjoys going to the beach, which she usually does alone because she finds it relaxing, she said.

“I would rather stay home and catch a good show on Netflix like the Bad Girls Club,” instead of going out and partying, Kaemerle said.

Kaemerle admitted she has never been to a nightclub. She said her mind is focused on one day attending USC and getting her master’s degree in business administration.

Former EC wrestling coach and current physical education professor, Tom Hazell, has known Kaemerle since she was born. He taught her father and has been around the family ever since.

“The Kaemerle family is very competitive,” Hazell said. “I have known her father for a long time know. I know that whatever she decides to do after El Camino, she will be successful at it.”

Kaemerle said her biggest goal in life is to one day have kids and provide for them, just like her parents do for her and her siblings. Until that day comes she will continue to keep winning on the field and in the classroom.

“I always tell my teammates to just play and have fun,” Kaemerle said. “By doing that, we can win and we can get the goals.”